Fans Disappointed: David Benavidez Picks Anthony Yarde Over Callum Smith For November Title Defense In Saudi Arabia

Fans are disappointed with David Benavidez’s choice of opponent, Anthony Yarde, for his defense of his WBC light heavyweight title in November in Saudi Arabia.

People hoped ‘The Mexican Monster’ Benavidez (30-0, 24 KOs) would fight the big puncher, WBO interim champion Callum Smith.

Yarde: A Safer Choice?

Choosing Yarde (27-3, 24 KOs) is a big letdown for fans, who see it as a case of Benavidez opting for a safer, less risky opponent that doesn’t bring the same danger as Callum.

Morrell Fight’s Impact on Benavidez

The fans who saw Benavidez’s last fight against David Morrell note that he took a lot of punishment last February. Although Benavidez won the fight by a 12-round unanimous decision, the younger, stronger Morrell landed a lot of big shots on him.

At the end of the fight, Benavidez’s face showed that he’d been in a grueling match. His face looked like Morrell had stepped on him with a pair of Kodialk work boots all night. You could tell that in a rematch, Morrell would win with a few minor adjustments in throwing speedy combinations and starting faster with his pressure. The Cuban Morrell waited until the second to open up with his offense, and by then, he was too far behind to make up for lost ground.

Selecting Yarde as his opponent is a clear sign that Benavidez doesn’t want to be put through another physical torture session like the one he endured against Morrell. Yarde is a good British-level fighter, but when he has attempted to fight world-class fighters at 175, he has wilted in knockout losses to Artur Beterbiev and Sergey Kovalev.

Yarde’s Rebuild & Opponents

Yarde’s promoters put him through a four-fight rebuild since his knockout loss to Beterbiev in 2023. He beat four mostly lower-level fighters that few fans have ever heard of. The only recognizable name among the gang of four was the capable Lyndon Arthur, but he’s long in the tooth and had already been knocked out by Yarde in 2021. It was a needless trilogy they had last April.

Benavidez-Yarde Undercard fights 

• Brian Norman vs. Devin Haney: For Norman Jr’s WBO 147-lb title
• Abdullah Mason vs. Sam Noakes: Battle for vacant WBO lightweight belt